In recent years, in the merchandising of products, unique packaging methods have been developed wherein products unique packaging methods have been developed wherein products no longer are necessarily packaged in conventional rectangular shaped boxes. Rather, in an effort to stimulate sales, the packaging art has shifted to more unique and sometimes oddshaped shaped packages. One such example is an egg-shaped plastic container in which hosiery is packaged.
In order for the egg-shaped containers to be more easily stored and displayed on the shelves of retail outlets, as well as to provide a place for printed advertising and merchandising information, a generally cylindrical or tubular carton has been developed which encases the lower portion of the egg-shaped container and holds it therein until the consumer is ready to open the package.
The carton which is presently in use is a cylindrically-shaped, spirally wound, tube of a diameter approximately equal to the effective largest diameter of the egg-shaped container. The aforesaid effective largest diameter is determined by a plurality of protrusions extending outwardly from the container around the periphery thereof. An upper rim of the carton includes rolled or beaded edge which prevents easy withdrawal of the container through the top thereof. The carton further includes a disc shaped bottom wall or floor which must be inserted into the spirally wound carton either before or after the container is emplaced. In any event, the above described cylindrical container is not folded into a flat configuration, and therefore considerable space is required for shipping and storage of the cartons prior to the time the containers are filled and emplaced therein.
Also, there is generally required one or more assembly operations on the cartons at the site of the product manufacture, rather than at the site of the package manufacture. The present packaging process is therefore expensive both from the standpoint of being time consuming to the product manufacturer, as well as from the standpoint of requiring additional warehouse space and increasing shipping charges of the package before the product is inserted.
Although the present description is directed to egg-shaped containers, it is apparent that the same concepts and principles would be applicable for spherical or ellipsoidal containers, or any container that has a circular transverse cross section, regardless of the longitudinal configuration.